Lacrosse stick head cover

ABSTRACT

Presently disclosed is a cover for a lacrosse stick head. The cover includes an enclosure having an opening adapted to receive a head of a lacrosse stick into an interior of the enclosure; wherein the enclosure is configured to protect a pocket defined in a mesh of the head of the lacrosse stick. In another embodiment, the cover includes an enclosure with an opening adapted to receive a head of a lacrosse stick, wherein the head includes a mesh defining a pocket. The enclosure may include a first portion configured to inhibit displacement of the mesh from a shooting side of the lacrosse stick, and a second portion configured to inhibit displacement of the mesh from a backside of the lacrosse stick to maintain a configuration of the pocket.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/906,170 filed Nov. 19, 2013, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to protective covers for lacrosse sticks,and more particularly to protective covers for the head of a lacrossestick.

A lacrosse stick is commonly known in the sport of lacrosse as theinstrument used by lacrosse players to handle the ball. Players use thestick and particularly the head of the stick to catch, carry and throwthe ball during the course of a game. The performance of the lacrossestick, especially the head of the stick, directly affects a player'seffectiveness during a game.

A typical lacrosse stick is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. As shown, alacrosse stick 10 includes a head 12 connected to a shaft 14. A playerholds the lacrosse stick 10 by the shaft 14 and uses the head 12 forcatching, carrying and throwing the ball. The head 12 is bound by asidewall 16 extending up from the shaft 14 and includes a mesh 18. Themesh 18 may be formed of nylon, leather or other appropriate materialand is often specified by US Lacrosse, or the regional/local governingbody for a given lacrosse league or organization. The mesh 18 is strungbetween the sidewalls 16 and may include both vertical and horizontalcomponents, which may be different materials. In the lacrosse stickillustrated, the head 12 also includes shooting strings 20 which arepositioned near the top of the head. The purpose of the shooting stringsis to guide the ball when it is thrown and to increase the accuracy of athrown ball. In addition, the head 12 includes a pocket 22 defined inthe mesh 18. The head may be characterized as having a shooting side(the right side of FIG. 1B) from which the ball is shot or caught, and aback side (the left side of FIG. 1A) which is opposite the shootingside.

The pocket 22 is used for catching and carrying the ball, and affectsthe release of the ball when thrown. A well-formed pocket is known toprovide performance advantages, therefore players work to conform thepocket to the shape of the ball. In addition, the configuration of thepocket is typically regulated by a given lacrosse league ororganization. A malformed (e.g., overly deepened) pocket therefore notonly adversely affects game play, but may also render a stick illegalunder the applicable rules.

The configuration of the pocket of a lacrosse stick head may be alteredunintentionally by a variety of factors. For example, when playing orpracticing in the rain, moisture may soften the mesh causing the pocketto lose its previously developed shape. The pocket is also susceptibleto physical alteration such as may occur when an object pressed upon thepocket either from the shooting side or the back side. At some levels ofplay, players may typically have more than one stick ready for use. Theneed to store the spare sticks in the field of play increases thelikelihood of damage or displacement of the pocket while these sparesticks are awaiting use.

It is customary to store lacrosse sticks in duffle bags that contain theentire stick but that fail to provide any protection to the criticalhead portion of the stick. Likewise, a more recent trend is to transporta lacrosse stick on the side of a lacrosse-specific backpack whereby theentire stick, and especially the head of the stick, is completelyexposed and lacking of any protection. Lacrosse sticks stored in eitherof these manners are susceptible to the types of damage noted above andwhich damage may be more likely when other equipment is loosely storedin the same bag and allowed to move against the head of the stick.

Therefore, there remains a need for a cover for a lacrosse stick headthat provides a measure of protection for the head. There is also a needfor a cover for a lacrosse stick head that inhibits displacement of thepocket in order to maintain the pocket configuration developed by aplayer.

Presently disclosed is a cover for a lacrosse stick head. In variousembodiments, the cover includes an enclosure having an opening adaptedto receive a head of a lacrosse stick into an interior of the enclosure;wherein the enclosure is configured to protect a pocket defined in amesh of the head of the lacrosse stick.

In some embodiments, the enclosure has a three dimensional profileconfigured to inhibit displacement of the mesh when the head is withinthe interior of the enclosure to maintain the configuration of thepocket. The enclosure may include a concave portion configured toreceive a pocket of the mesh.

In some embodiments, the enclosure includes a clam-shell configured toreceive the head of the lacrosse stick. The clam-shell may include afront portion and a back portion, in which the front portion and backportion are connected by a hinge. The hinge may be disposed on a sideportion of the clam-shell or on a top portion of the clam-shell. Theclam-shell may also include a clasp configured to secure the frontportion to the back portion in a closed position.

In some embodiments, the cover also includes a closure for securing theopening of the enclosure about a shaft of the lacrosse stick. In variousembodiments, the closure may be a tie, a drawstring, a hook and loopfastener, or other closure mechanism.

In some embodiments, the cover further includes padding disposed in atleast a portion of the enclosure. In some embodiments, the enclosure maytaper outwardly from a bottom portion adapted to receive the shaft ofthe lacrosse stick toward a top portion adapted to receive the head ofthe lacrosse stick. The enclosure may have a generally trapezoidal shapefor receiving the head of the lacrosse stick.

In some embodiments, the cover further includes a compartment providedin the interior of the enclosure, in which at least a portion of thecompartment is formed of anti-microbial material.

Also disclosed is a cover for a lacrosse stick head that includes anenclosure with an opening adapted to receive a head of a lacrosse stick,wherein the head includes a mesh defining a pocket; wherein theenclosure includes: a first portion configured to inhibit displacementof the mesh from a shooting side of the lacrosse stick, and a secondportion configured to inhibit displacement of the mesh from a backsideof the lacrosse stick to maintain a configuration of the pocket.

In some embodiments, one or both of the first portion and the secondportion of the enclosure comprise a rigid plastic profile. In someembodiments, one or both of the first portion and the second portion maycomprise a flexible cover extending over at least a portion of thepocket.

In some embodiments, one or both of the first portion and the secondportion of the enclosure may have a concave profile facing the interiorof the enclosure. In other embodiments, the first portion has a planarprofile adjacent the head of the lacrosse stick. The cover may alsoinclude a closure for securing the opening of the enclosure about ashaft of the lacrosse stick.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which particularembodiments of the invention are illustrated as described in more detailin the description below, in which:

FIG. 1A is a front view of a portion of a lacrosse stick;

FIG. 1B is a side view of a portion of a lacrosse stick;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a lacrosse stickhead cover;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the lacrosse stick head cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the lacrosse stick head cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the lacrosse stick head cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an interior view of the lacrosse stick head cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a lacrosse stickhead cover;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a lacrosse stickhead cover; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a lacrosse stickhead cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring generally to FIGS. 1-9, embodiments of a lacrosse stick headcover are disclosed. A lacrosse stick head cover may be used in variousembodiments to cover and protect the head of a lacrosse stick when thelacrosse stick is not in use.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-6, one embodiment of a cover 100 for a lacrossestick head is illustrated. The cover 100 includes an enclosure having anopening 102 configured to receive the head of a lacrosse stick. Asshown, the head of the lacrosse stick is positioned within an interiorof the enclosure. In various configurations, the enclosure includes afirst portion 104 and a second portion 106. During use, the lacrossestick head is disposed between the first portion 104 and the sectionportion 106.

The cover 100 is opened to receive the lacrosse stick head asillustrated in FIG. 2. The cover 100 may then be closed to contain andprotect the lacrosse stick head as illustrated in FIG. 3. A cover may beopened and closed using a zipper 108 disposed on the second portion 106of the enclosure. Alternatively a zipper or other fastener may bedisposed along the first portion 104, or along a seam between the firstportion and the second portion. The opposite side of the cover 100provides the first portion 104, which may be seamless as illustrated inFIG. 4 or may also include a zipper or other closure mechanism asdesired.

In addition or as an alternative, the cover 100 may include a closurefor securing the opening of the enclosure about a shaft of the lacrossestick. In one embodiment, a tie or drawstring 110 is configured tosecure the enclosure around the shaft of the lacrosse stick. Thedrawstring 110 may be used to prevent the enclosure from sliding off thehead of the lacrosse stick and/or may also be used to close theenclosure around the shaft to more fully enclose the head of thelacrosse stick within the interior of the enclosure. In otherembodiments, the closure may comprise a hook and loop fastener, a snap,clamp or other clasp for securing the opening of the enclosure aroundthe shaft of the lacrosse stick. Once closed, the cover 100 inhibitsmoisture from contacting the head and mesh thereby protecting thesecomponents.

The enclosure may have a three dimensional profile configured to inhibitdisplacement of the mesh when the head is within the interior of theenclosure in order to maintain the configuration of the pocket of thelacrosse stick. As shown in FIG. 5, the enclosure is configured toreceive the head of the lacrosse stick with the shooting side of thehead adjacent the first portion 104 and the back side of the headadjacent the second portion 106. As shown by FIGS. 1A-B above, theshooting side of the head of a lacrosse stick is relatively flat,therefore the first portion 104 of the enclosure may also be relativelyflat or planar. In contrast, the back side of the head has a concaveconfiguration defined by the mesh and the pocket. The second portion 106of the enclosure may therefore include a concave portion configured toreceive the pocket. By conforming the three dimensional shape of theenclosure to the configuration of the lacrosse stick head, the coverprotects the pocket by providing sufficient room in the interior of theenclosure for the pocket to maintain its desired shape. The enclosuremay be further configured to maintain its configuration and therebyinhibit displacement of the mesh when the head is within the interior ofthe enclosure. In some embodiments, the enclosure may shape definingelements, such as an internal frame, to assist in maintaining the shapeof the enclosure. In other embodiments, the enclosure may be construedof materials with sufficient strength to maintain their configurationand resist deformation that may displace the mesh of the lacrosse stickhead.

The cover 100 may further include a sealable compartment 120 disposed inthe interior of the enclosure. The compartment 120 may include anaccessory pocket 122 closable with a flap 124. In some embodiments, thecompartment 120 is configured to store a player's mouth guard. In otherembodiments, the compartment 120 may be configured to store an athleticprotective cup or other equipment required by the player. In thismanner, the cover 100 may provide convenient storage for a player'saforementioned equipment when not in use. To facilitate storage, atleast a portion of the compartment may be formed of anti-microbialmaterial to inhibit the growth of bacteria within the enclosure. Thecover may also include vents configured to allow airflow into theinterior of the cover to facilitate drying of equipment within thecover. The vents may also be configured to substantially limit orprevent moisture from entering the interior of the cover.

Referring now to FIG. 7, another embodiment of a cover 200 for alacrosse stick head is illustrated. The cover 200 may generally bedescribed as a clam-shell type cover having a first portion 204 and asecond portion 206 connected by a hinge 208. As illustrated, a singlehinge 208 may be disposed along a side of the cover 200, however otherconfigurations are also contemplated including the use of two or morehinges as may be desired. In some embodiments, the first portion 204 andthe second portion 206 are each formed from plastic having a profileadapted to receive the head of the lacrosse stick. In addition, thefirst portion 204 and second portion 206 may be sufficiently rigid tomaintain their profile thereby inhibiting displacement of the mesh. Inother embodiments, the first portion 204 may be flexible while thesecond portion 206 comprises a rigid plastic profile. A flexible firstportion adjacent the shooting side may provide sufficient protectionbecause the pocket extends from the back side of the head. In someembodiments, a seal may be provided along the edges of the first portionand the second portion to further reduce moisture penetration into theinterior of the cover.

The clam shell style cover 200 may include a closure mechanism to securethe first portion 203 to the second portion 206 opposite the hinge. Inone embodiment, the first portion 204 includes a clasp 210 and thesecond portion 206 includes a receptacle 212 for the clasp 210. In otherembodiments, a strap, buckle, snap or other closure mechanism may beused to secure the first portion to the second portion in order toretain the lacrosse stock head within the interior of the enclosure. Inaddition or as an alternative, the first portion 204 may be configuredto directly engage the second portion 206, such as by means of aninterlocking connection to enclose the lacrosse stick head.

A clam shell style cover, such as cover 200, may be particularlybeneficial for college or professional lacrosse players whose equipmentmay be frequently transported increasing the risk of damage to the headand mesh or undesired alternation to the pocket. Moreover, at moreadvanced levels of play, the configuration of the pocket may have agreater impact on a player's performance further increasing the benefitsof protecting the configuration of the pocket when not in use.

Referring now to FIG. 8, another embodiment of a clam-shell style coveris illustrated. The cover 300 includes a first portion 304 and a secondportion 306 connected by a hinge 308. As shown, the hinge 308 isdisposed at a top portion of the cover 300 such that the first portionand the second portion fold onto the head of the lacrosse stick from thetop. One or more closure mechanisms (not shown in FIG. 8) may beprovided analogous to those previously discussed.

The cover 300 further includes optional padding 310 disposed on theinterior surface of the first portion 304 and the second portion 306.The optional padding 310 may include foam or other cushioning material.When the head of the lacrosse stick is within the interior of theenclosure, portions of the head may contact the interior surface of theenclosure depending upon how securely the head is held in place. Theoptional padding 310 may be configured to engage at least a portion ofthe head, such as the side wall in order to inhibit the head from movingrelative to the enclosure and avoiding unintended contact between thehead and the first portion 304 or the second portion 306. The padding310 may also extend toward the opening 302 at the enclosure and surroundthe shaft of the lacrosse stick. In this manner, the padding 310 mayprevent water or soil from entering the interior of the enclosure aroundthe shaft. The padding 310 may also comprise anti-microbial material toinhibit the growth of bacteria within the enclosure, especially when alacrosse stick is placed into the cover when wet.

Referring now to FIG. 9, another embodiment of a cover 400 isillustrated. The cover 400 includes a first portion 404 a second portion406. The first portion 404 and the second portion 406 are discretecomponents such that the first portion 404 may be completely removedfrom the second portion 406 in order to place the head of the lacrossestick into the interior of the enclosure. As with the covers previouslydiscussed, the enclosure includes an opening 402 through which the shaftof the lacrosse stick may extend.

In some embodiments, the first portion 404 is secured to the secondportion 406 with one or more closure mechanisms, such as three clasps410. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the shape of the cover is configured toaccommodate the head of the lacrosse stick. The cover 400 has agenerally trapezoidal shape, including top and bottom portions at leasta portion of which are parallel, and opposite side portions each ofwhich taper outwardly from the bottom portion towards the top portion.To avoid damaging other sticks or users, the corners of the cover 400may be curved while still retaining the generally trapezoidalconfiguration illustrated in FIG. 9. In other embodiments, a two piececover may be provided in any other desired shape to accommodate the headof the lacrosse stick with the desired degree of protection.

A cover for the head of the a lacrosse stick as presently disclosed maybe water resistant to further protect the mesh of the head of thelacrosse stick. In some embodiments, the enclosure may be constructed ofnatural or synthetic materials that are water resistant or even waterproof. For example, the cover may be constructed of plastic or fabric.When fabric is used, a non-abrasive fabric may be desired to reduce thepossibility of covers catching each other when lacrosse sticks areplaced in a pile as can be common at some levels of play, especiallywhen the lacrosse sticks are transported to and from practices andgames. In embodiments where at least a portion of the enclosurecomprises fabric, the enclosure may be construed without seams toprevent the ingress of water into the interior of the enclosure.Alternatively, if the enclosure is constructed with seams, the seams maybe sealed to maintain the water resistant nature of the cover.

In some embodiments, the cover may be ornamented with decorations oridentifying insignia. For example, a player identification, such as nameand/or number, may be imprinted on the cover to facilitate identifyingwhich of the lacrosse sticks belong to a given player. In addition, teamlogos may be displayed on the exterior of the cover to facilitateequipment identification and to promote the team brand. In yet otherembodiments, the exterior surface of the cover may include decorativeornamentation as desired by an individual player. A dye sublimationprocess or other non-penetrating technique may be used to applyornamentation to the surface of the exterior of the cover in order tomaintain the water resistance. Other surface ornamentation techniques,such as embroidery or glitz applique, may also be used when waterresistance is not desired or, alternatively, may be used in combinationwith additional measures, such as a sealant, to provide water resistanceto the cover.

Although the above embodiments are described in connection withprotecting the mesh and pocket of a lacrosse stick head, the presentlydisclosed cover also protects lacrosse sticks on which the pockets aremuch less pronounced, such as those presently used in girls lacrosse.The presently disclosed cover also can be adapted to cover a specialtylacrosse stick that is used by goalies, which goalie sticks containheads that are significantly larger in both length and diameter. As suchthe presently disclosed cover is intended for use in protecting theheads of the lacrosse sticks used in all levels of lacrosse for bothmale and female players and all position players.

In the specification and claims, reference will be made to a number ofterms that have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an” and“the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise. Approximating language, as used herein throughout thespecification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitativerepresentation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a changein the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a valuemodified by a term such as “about” is not to be limited to the precisevalue specified. Moreover, unless specifically stated otherwise, any useof the terms “first,” “second,” etc., do not denote any order orimportance, but rather the terms “first,” “second,” etc., are used todistinguish one element from another.

As used herein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility ofan occurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specifiedproperty, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb byexpressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibilityassociated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “maybe” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable,or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while takinginto account that in some circumstances the modified term may sometimesnot be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in somecircumstances an event or capacity can be expected, while in othercircumstances the event or capacity cannot occur—this distinction iscaptured by the terms “may” and “may be”.

The terms “including” and “having” are used as the plain languageequivalents of the term “comprising”; the term “in which” is equivalentto “wherein.” Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the presentinvention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existenceof additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments“comprising,” “including,” or “having” an element or a plurality ofelements having a particular property may include additional suchelements not having that property. Moreover, certain embodiments may beshown as having like or similar elements, however, this is merely forillustration purposes, and such embodiments need not necessarily havethe same elements unless specified in the claims.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable one of ordinary skill in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The embodimentsdescribed herein are examples of articles, systems, and methods havingelements corresponding to the elements of the invention recited in theclaims. This written description may enable those of ordinary skill inthe art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements thatlikewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in theclaims. The scope of the invention thus includes articles, systems andmethods that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, andfurther includes other articles, systems and methods with insubstantialdifferences from the literal language of the claims. While only certainfeatures and embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,many modifications and changes may occur to one of ordinary skill in therelevant art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover for a lacrosse stick head comprising: anenclosure having an opening adapted to receive a head of a lacrossestick into an interior of the enclosure; wherein the enclosure isconfigured to protect a pocket defined in a mesh of the head of thelacrosse stick.
 2. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the enclosure has a three dimensional profileconfigured to inhibit displacement of the mesh when the head is withinthe interior of the enclosure to maintain the configuration of thepocket.
 3. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 1,wherein the enclosure comprises a concave portion configured to receivea pocket of the mesh.
 4. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimedin claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a clam-shell configured toreceive the head of the lacrosse stick.
 5. The cover for a lacrossestick head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the clam-shell comprises afront portion and a back portion, and wherein the front portion and backportion are connected by a hinge.
 6. The cover for a lacrosse stick headas claimed in claim 5, wherein the hinge is disposed on a side portionof the clam-shell or on a top portion of the clam-shell.
 7. The coverfor a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 5, wherein the clam-shellfurther comprises a clasp configured to secure the front portion to theback portion in a closed position.
 8. The cover for a lacrosse stickhead as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a closure for securingthe opening of the enclosure about a shaft of the lacrosse stick.
 9. Thecover for a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 1 further comprisingpadding disposed in at least a portion of the enclosure.
 10. The coverfor a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosuretapers outwardly from a bottom portion adapted to receive the shaft ofthe lacrosse stick toward a top portion adapted to receive the head ofthe lacrosse stick.
 11. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimedin claim 1, wherein the enclosure has a generally trapezoidal shape forreceiving the head of the lacrosse stick.
 12. The cover for a lacrossestick head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure furthercomprises a sealable compartment provided in the interior of theenclosure, wherein at least a portion of the compartment is formed ofanti-microbial material.
 13. A cover for a lacrosse stick headcomprising: an enclosure with an opening adapted to receive a head of alacrosse stick, wherein the head includes a mesh defining a pocket;wherein the enclosure includes: a first portion configured to inhibitdisplacement of the mesh from a shooting side of the lacrosse stick, anda second portion configured to inhibit displacement of the mesh from abackside of the lacrosse stick to maintain a configuration of thepocket.
 14. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 13,wherein the first portion and the second portion each comprise a rigidplastic profile.
 15. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimed inclaim 13, wherein the second portion comprises a ridge plastic profile.16. The cover for a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 13, whereinthe first portion comprises a flexible cover extending over at least aportion of the pocket.
 17. The cover for a lacrosse stick head asclaimed in claim 13, wherein the second portion has a concave profilefacing the interior of the enclosure.
 18. The cover for a lacrosse stickhead as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first portion has a concaveprofile to the interior of the enclosure
 19. The cover for a lacrossestick head as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first portion has aplanar profile adjacent the head of the lacrosse stick.
 20. The coverfor a lacrosse stick head as claimed in claim 13 further comprising: aclosure for securing the opening of the enclosure about a shaft of thelacrosse stick.